NYYC American Magic to face the Italians in the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-final
by New York Yacht Club American Magic 13 Sep 11:44 BST
Louis Vuitton Cup, Semi Finals: Press Conference © Ricardo Pinto / America's Cup
NYYC American Magic will take on Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in the highly anticipated Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Final, a first-to-five match race series set to begin on Saturday, September 14th, in Barcelona, Spain.
The Semi-Final matchups were confirmed at a press conference held at the World Trade Center in Barcelona on Friday morning. As the winners of the Louis Vuitton Round Robin stage, INEOS Britannia selected Alinghi Red Bull Racing as their semi-final opponent, leaving American Magic to face Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in the second semi-final.
Last weekend, American Magic secured their spot in the semi-finals with impressive victories over INEOS Britannia, Orient Express Racing Team, and Alinghi Red Bull Racing.
NYYC American Magic aims to win the America's Cup and bring it back to the New York Yacht Club's historic 44th Street clubhouse, ending New York Yacht Club's 41-year wait for sailing's most prestigious trophy.
The first race of the semi-final will take place on Saturday, September 14th, with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli choosing port entry for the opening match against American Magic.
Reflecting on the draw, Tom Slingsby commented, "This is a whole new team to AC36; the boat performs in a wider range of conditions; we've built from the last campaign; we're a much stronger team. I wasn't there for the last campaign for American Magic, but I believe we have the team that can beat Luna Rossa. And I look forward to seeing what we can do."
The Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals will run from September 14th through September 19th (if all races are required). The teams will compete in a match-racing format, with the first to secure five wins advancing to the finals. The full race schedule will be announced soon.